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Humid weather makes our pets scratch

Dog itching and scratching

Wow I’m busy at the moment!

The unseasonably warm and humid weather has been causing all sorts of misery for our pets. Here’s an issue your pet may be facing and some ways you can help the problem.

Itching and scratching
Many dogs and cats suffer from allergic skin disease (sometimes we call this atopy). Atopy is where your pet’s body reacts to something in the environment. This reaction comes out in the skin. The skin gets red and inflammed, your pet doesn’t like the itchy feeling, he scratches or bites at it and makes it worse… and before you know it you have secondary skin infections and a very unhappy and sometimes very unwell pet.

It can be really difficult to track down the cause of the atopy. It can be an insect or flea bite, something your pet eats, something he touches or even something he breathes in.

Warm humid weather like we are experiencing at the moment means 3 things.

Firstly there are more allergons like yeasts and moulds around. Secondly the flea population is exploding!

And thirdly, when the weather is warm your pet is often hot and bothered which means skin problems annoy him (and you!) more.

Helping your pet
The number one thing you can do at the moment to help your pet cope with his skin problems is to make absolutely sure you are up to date with flea prevention

Not all flea prevention products are effective in preventing flea bites and not all are suitable for dogs and cats with skin problems. Call me on 0407 434 912 if you need to know what prevention is best for your pet.

A cool (not cold) bath or shower using a gentle shampoo suitable for atopic pets can really help your pet to feel better and alleviate some of the itch for a while. Keeping the house cool also helps.

If your pet has sore areas where the skin is broken you’ll need to call a vet for help before the problem gets out of hand.

For small patches of superficial skin trouble we can prescribe ointments to treat the problem. In more severe cases we’ll often need to do some tests to find the underlying cause and prescribe tablets to treat the skin from the inside out.

If you have any concerns at all about your pet’s health – we’re only a phone call away

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